“I love you, Liv,” Jake repeated the words again like a mantra while panting in my ear as we rocked back and forth together. I tightened the grip of my thighs around his waist, straining for contact with his body. My hard clit brushed against Jake’s solid abdominal muscles and I cried out wildly as every nerve in my body exploded with passion. It was too much–too hot, I couldn’t take it. I held my breath and furiously ground my pelvis against Jake’s body as a second, powerful orgasm ripped through my body and rendered me blind with lust.
Jake grunted and groaned. He strained, thrusting hard, then arched his back and let out a wild howl that sent a chill down my spine. His cock pulsed and twitched and he slammed inside of me before pausing. Then Jake tangled his fingers with mine and squeezed my hand tightly.
“God, Liv,” Jake grunted. “I love you,” he panted. “I love you so fucking much!”
I felt Jake’s manhood gushing inside of me and I sighed happily, wrapping my arms around his sweaty neck and pulling him down.
When our lips met, I was delirious with happiness. My whole body was singing with the afterglow of delectable pleasure, and I was so relaxed that I could have fallen asleep with Jake still inside of me.
“I love you, too,” I whispered.
Jake grinned lazily. He slid out of me and flopped down on the bed, pulling the light sheet over his golden, muscular body.
“You’re still my lucky charm,” Jake said. He took my hand and brought my fingers to his lips, kissing them gently. “You’ve always been lucky for me, Olivia. The only unlucky moment was when I thought I’d lost you forever.”
My eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled as I lay my head down on Jake’s chest.
“You never lost me,” I whispered honestly. “I swear.”
Chapter Seventeen
Olivia
In the morning, I was shocked to see Jake dressed and out of bed. I yawned, rubbing my eyes with both fists.
“I can’t believe it,” I said, glancing around the room. “I forgot last night, but do you remember this place?”
Jake flopped down on the bed. He looked incredibly sexy in a pair of dark slacks and a white button-down shirt that showed his golden chest.
“Of course,” Jake said. He leaned in and kissed me, licking my lower lip until I turned to putty in his hands. “This is the Royal Egyptian, the first hotel we slept together in.”
I grinned and blushed. “I didn’t realize until just now. You can’t blame me for being distracted last night,” I said, glancing around. “God, it looks like a tornado went through here.”
Jake smirked. “Hurricane Jacob and Olivia,” he said. “We did a good amount of damage, didn’t we?”
I rolled my eyes as I surveyed the wreckage. My dress was splayed across the floor, followed by various undergarments and pieces of Jake’s tuxedo.
“So,” Jake said. “I got up early because I wanted to do a little research. But now that you’re awake….”
“Oh yeah? What kind of research?” I raised my eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
Jake snickered. “You’re right,” he said. “But this is important. Liv, I know how much you hate being tied to one place, and I wanted to let you know that Jamie gave me the go ahead to move on. He said that as long as I can find a decent physical therapist, I can move anywhere in the world I want. So I’m asking—where do you want to go?”
My jaw dropped. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope.” Jake smiled. “Of course, I’d be pleased if you didn’t pick Oklahoma. But really, wherever. The world is our oyster, Liv.”
“What about my program?”
Jake shrugged. “I imagine, they need vet techs all over the world,” he said. “Just finish up your studies and then we can go.”
“What about Katie? And Lauren?”
“They can always visit,” Jake promised. “I swear.”
My eyes filled with tears and I bit my lip. “This is going to sound crazy,” I said slowly. “But part of me wants to stay right here, in Daytona. I love my friends and I love my job and now that you’re here…well, I feel like that’s kind of all the adventure I need.”
Jake gaped. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. “I am,” I said. “God, that sounds weird.”
“You’ve changed,” Jake teased. “Whatever happened to Miss Globetrotter?”
I giggled. “She got married and became Mrs. Redwood-Teller.”
Jake nodded. “So…you’re really serious?”
I nodded. “I am,” I said slowly. “I mean, I’m happy here.” I glanced around, looking out the hotel windows at the sunny beach below. “I love this place. I love you. I love my friends, and my job, and I’m really excited about the future. I was even thinking…” I trailed off, biting my lip.
“What?” Jake scooted closer and took my hand. “What were you thinking?” He grinned. “About kids? About how you want ten of them, five boys and five girls? Or maybe an even dozen!”
“Oh my god,” I said. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack!” I playfully swatted my husband’s hand. “No! But I was thinking….what if we decided to look for a house?”
Jake gaped again. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really truly,” I said. I smiled. “It’s kind of the next step, isn’t it?”
“And then the twelve kids?” Jake’s eyes were so serious that I burst out laughing until my chest ached.
“No!” I said, recovering. “At least, not for a while. And not twelve,” I said sternly. “Maybe two or three. Maybe.”
Jake grinned and pulled me into a deep kiss. He smoothed the tangles of my brown hair out of my face and cupped my jaw, staring into my eyes until I blushed.
“Olivia Redwood-Teller, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And I would be more than happy to become a homeowner with you.” Jake smirked devilishly. “Even if it’s right here, in Daytona Beach.”
I smiled happily. “Good,” I said softly. “Because, Jacob Redwood-Teller, I’m so excited about spending the rest of my life with you.”
Jake kissed me again and my stomach filled with happy butterflies. He pulled me into a tight embrace and I sighed, relaxing against his body. It was crazy to think that in a little less than two years, I’d fallen in love, traveled around the world, straightened my life out and gotten married.
I didn’t know what was going to happen in the future. I had no way of predicting the odds, just like when I’d bet on Jake at the racetrack.
But I knew that with Jake by my side, everything was going to be just perfect.
About the Author
Starla Harris loves all things romance. She especially loves reading and writing about bad boys, billionaires and playboys.
Feel free to write to Starla with any questions, comments, suggestions and requests for stories, or just say hi to her at
[email protected].
Starla absolutely loves hearing from her readers!
Author’s Note
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Alter Ego
Book Description
Have you ever wanted to just throw away the old you and start fresh? Iris Thompson did.
When her best friend, Olivia, invites her to an art gala to have some fun, she steps out─not as Iris but as Natasha, the carefree, charismatic, and charming young woman who sets out to steal the heart of the
handsome billionaire playboy Damien Flaherty.
When he discovers her alter ego, will her heart break yet again? Could Damien ever learn to love Iris or will the truth tear them apart?
HOT and SEXY! A fast-paced billionaire love story filled with sensuous heat!
Warning: This book contains some hot and steamy sex scenes. Intended for 18+ readers only.
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CHAPTER ONE
Iris Thompson groaned as she felt the couch springs dig into her back. She tried to reposition herself, but just couldn’t get comfortable. Her body ached and her legs were cramped from spending yet another night on her best friend’s sofa .
When she opened her eyes, the living room was dark. The only light she could see was from the flashing bright neon lights of the wall clock hanging in the nearby hall. It was 3:47 A.M. Iris groaned again, this time louder and more annoyed. She buried her face in the thin pillow, determined to fall back asleep again. She tossed and turned, but it was to no avail. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling with her hands clasped over her stomach as she contemplated the odds of spending yet another sleepless night, miserable and alone. Life wasn’t supposed to be like this. At least, not hers.
Seconds later, a small black creature jumped onto the couch and joined her. Her friend’s cat, Misty, rubbed against her, begging for attention. “Are Olivia and George at it again?” Iris whispered to the cat, “Did they kick you out?” Iris gently scratched Misty behind the ears. The cat arched her back appreciatively and let out a melodic purr. Shortly after, the sound of George’s groans reverberated through the small apartment. The walls were paper thin and Iris could hear the bed in the next room rocking.
She sighed, resigning herself to the idea that any hope of restful and blissful sleep was probably permanently lost now. She sat up on the sofa and decided that if she couldn’t sleep, she might as well eat to fill the void even though it wasn’t food that she necessarily craved. As she tip-toed toward the kitchen, she strained her eyes to form shapes in the dark. She used her hands clumsily to help feel her way through the living room, but not before she stubbed her big left toe on the coffee table. “Ah, Fuck me!” She yelled out, hopping on one foot as the sharp pain radiated through her leg.
The moans from the next room stopped abruptly. “Is everything alright out there?” Olivia called out, her voice ragged.
“Yeah. Just great.” Iris muttered loudly enough so her friend could hear. Moments later, the lovers were back at it again. This time, it was Olivia’s distinct, high-pitched moans that Iris heard. Cats in heat, Iris thought to herself. The bed, however, had stopped rocking. Iris stood silently at the entrance to the hall and listened. She felt guilty and slightly embarrassed for eavesdropping, but above all else she was annoyed that she had to listen to their love making. In such a small apartment, there was really no way to avoid it.
Olivia and George hooked up just a few months ago, not long after the shit hit the fan for Iris. They met at the magazine Olivia wrote for. It started as one of those forbidden workplace love affairs. Olivia was an arts and entertainment reporter and George had just started as an editor on the news desk. For them, it was a textbook case of insta-love, or rather insta-lust. For a while, they tried to keep it a secret, but everyone already seemed to know. They were still in that honeymoon phase of their relationship where they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. They were constantly at it—day and night. From the sounds of it, the sex was good, frequent, sloppy and loud. Hearing them together made Iris ache with loneliness. It had been such a long time since she’d been intimate with anyone—too long. Iris felt a ball of jealousy swell in the pit of her stomach at the thought of the happy couple fucking the night away.
Misty rubbed against Iris’ leg and startled her out of her trance-like state. She sighed and stumbled into the kitchen. When she turned the overhead light on, the fluorescent bulbs flickered and a giant cockroach scurried for cover. It was a small, cramped space, just like everything else in the apartment. The counters were cluttered with second-rate appliances Olivia had picked up at various yard sales and thrift stores. The stove had only one working burner. The cabinets and counters, worn and grubby from years of use, were covered with a sticky residue that never seemed to go away no matter how hard you scrubbed. Still, this was New York City, and if you were on a budget, this was all you could afford. The next cheapest option would be sleeping in the subway stations. Iris was young. She was smart and educated. She had her health and her entire future ahead of her. She should feel lucky and yet she didn’t.
Iris grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter and walked over to the rickety dining table perched near the window. Misty followed Iris and jumped on the table as she peered out of the soot and grime-infested window at the alley below. The moon shone bright and a few lights illuminated the narrow corridor. There were some dumpsters at the end and several rusty trash cans filled with garbage. Some of the canisters, however, were toppled. Their contents were on full display, roughly strewn on the ground. While the spoils had clearly already been picked through, a hopeful and lone rat could be seen taking a turn at rummaging through the remains, looking for something to eat. Disappointed by what was left, the rat scuttled away, its tail looking deflated, or so Iris thought.
“I know how you feel little buddy…” she mumbled softly, slouching into a nearby chair that was just about ready to collapse. She could only imagine what would have happened if she still had on her Freshman 15. That was one thing about being young, near homeless and under-employed, you had all the time in the world to get in shape.
Taking up running was one of the few good choices Iris had made in her life since graduating from college. Running helped clear her head and she needed that now. Running was her catharsis. It was like therapy for her.
Every day like clockwork, she’d suit up, which meant she’d throw on some leggings, grab a hoodie and lace up her tennies. She’d crank up the music on her Mp3 to block out the rest of the world and distract her from her own thoughts, and then she’d hit the pavement. She always ran the same five mile route along the path circling Central Park. While only the left side of her earbuds still worked, she knew that having one that worked was better than having nothing at all. She needed to be able to milk her current setup for all it was worth because there was no way that she could afford anything else.
Her life had seriously gone to shit over the last several months—ever since she caught Kaleb, her fiancé of five years, cheating on her with Sabrina Lockwood, one of her former classmates. In fact, it was Iris who introduced Sabrina to Kaleb and she even invited her over to their house for dinner. Wow, what a mistake that was. And in some kind of weird twist of fate, Kaleb managed to retain ownership of the house they bought together and he convinced Iris to move out of their home so Sabrina could move in. Oh, and Kaleb also kept custody of their dog, Dexter. Life was unimaginably cruel sometimes.
It was not so long ago that everyone thought she had the perfect life and so did she. Kaleb was the perfect boyfriend and she and Kaleb had what looked was the perfect relationship. Kaleb never forgot Friday night date night. He always made breakfast on Saturdays and on Sundays they read The New York Times together. She and Kaleb were so rock solid that they even bought a cute house together in the burbs and got a dog.
So, what happened? How did she not see this coming? Now all of her friends just felt sorry for her. She knew they gossiped and whispered behind her back. She wasn’t even sure if most of them were her friends anymore. She felt like Olivia was the only true friend she could still trust. Ever since high school, Olivia had been her staunchest supporter and most trusted ally. Olivia always had her back. Thank God for friends like Olivia.
She still felt queasy at the thought of how it all went down. They say when you break up with someone, there are five stages of grief you need
to work through to get over them. At first, she experienced denial. She couldn’t believe it was happening to her. Then there was anger. She wanted to gouge Kaleb’s eyes out with a rusty spoon. She eventually moved on to bargaining and depression, but sometimes she felt herself slip back into anger. She was still feeling vulnerable and raw. They also say you need to give yourself at least a month to grieve for every year you were in the relationship. And so if that were the case, she could expect to remain in a funk for at least two more freaking months.
She wasn’t sure how she let it all happen and why she didn’t fight more to keep what was rightfully half hers. She replayed parts of their relationship in her head over and over again, looking for clues that could help her understand why and how this happened to her. If only she’d been more observant, maybe she could’ve avoided this outcome. If only she’d known not to let that home-wrecking bitch into her life, maybe Kaleb never would have thought of cheating.
Sometimes when she was feeling especially dark, sad and sorry for herself, she’d wonder if it was her all along and not him. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if she’d been a better girlfriend. Maybe he wouldn’t have cheated if she had sex with him more often. Maybe if she was willing to be more experimental in bed. Maybe she just wasn’t good in bed. Maybe she was a lousy fuck. She’d spiral through the entire roster of questions and self-loathing again. Each time though, she’d arrive at the same conclusion: Who the hell knows how and why Kaleb did what he did. Ultimately, she just felt foolish. How could she have been so blind? How did she not realize Kaleb was a lying cheating bastard?
Heart Racer: A Billionaire Love Story Page 14